Broiled Chicken Oregano

This is Greek-grandma cooking in its purest form. Chicken breasts get rubbed with quartered garlic cloves, soaked in a lemon-olive oil-oregano marinade for several hours (overnight is even better), then broiled close to high heat with a lemon butter baste that chars the edges golden.

The double hit of oregano is what sets this apart. It shows up in both the marinade and the basting butter, so the herb flavor builds in layers: one soaked deep into the meat, the other crisped and fragrant on the surface.

Reserving some of the melted lemon butter to pour over the chicken at serving is the finishing touch. That warm, herby butter pooling around the meat on the platter is basically a built-in sauce with zero extra effort.

Pro Tips

• Marinate as long as you can. A few hours is good; overnight is better. The lemon juice tenderizes the chicken and the garlic-oregano flavors penetrate deeper with time.
• Keep the chicken 3-4 inches from the broiler element. Too close and the outside burns before the inside is cooked through.
• Baste frequently during broiling. Each coat of lemon butter adds another layer of flavor and keeps the surface from drying out.
• Check for doneness by piercing the thickest part. Clear juices mean it’s ready; pink juices mean give it another minute or two.

Variations

• Cook these on the grill instead of the broiler for smoky char marks.
• Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the marinade for a deeper, warmer flavor.
• Use thighs instead of breasts for juicier, more forgiving results.